Versprechen
by Alycoris
Summary: She made a promise to beat someone. He made a promise to a small girl, so very long ago. ExpressShipping.
1. To Remember

As English was not his native language, Ingo spent most of his time at home perfecting it as a child. Emmet didn't take well to it as he did, so often, Ingo would have to speak for both of them. Still, from child to adult, and despite his practice, Ingo didn't have the best of English.

Thankfully, his word comprehension was big enough to rival a dictionary in both German and English. He knew what to say to others most of the time, whether the subject varied from mere small talk to carrying out orders on the job.

However…

"Vhy are you crying?"

Before him is a young girl. She looks no more than seven or possibly eight. And more importantly, she is alone, and crying her eyes out.

"Vhy are you crying?" He asks again, more insistent on receiving a comprehensible answer. She bawls and messily wipes away her tears with her wrists, looks at him but the waterworks continue. Ingo's first thought is that she's lost. Oh dear Arceus.

"Vhere is your mother and father?" He asks, giving her a stern look. His voice is loud and calm, but even still, Ingo is more than worried.

She trembles delicately before him and shakes her head, sniffling. Her messily tied ponytail bounces in rhythmic unison as she looks up at him with tearstained eyes. "…I-I don't- I-" She takes a deep breath to calm herself, but it obviously fails to works. She grips the front of her white laced dress, and sniffles. "M-Mommy and daddy w-w-were right with L-Lea, and-" She hiccups, and begins to bawl louder than the last time, this time attracting the attention of other people.

Ingo's composure begins to crack. How was he supposed to deal with this?

"Ach… Don't cry. Please." He says firmly, but the girl continues to sob. "I vant to help you find your family, but you need to calm down first." She seems to listen, due to her cries quieting. "Okay?" He asks, attempting to mask his insecurity as he kneels on one knee to match her small height. "Don't cry." He repeats.

"B-But mommy and d-daddy-" She sputters again and the tears well up. Ingo, at wit's end, scratches the back of his head. He knows he's not too good at dealing with children because of his unsmiling demeanor, and a crying, lost little girl of all things to deal with! Where was Emmet when he needed him?

"Your mother and father vouldn't vant you to cry." Ingo murmurs as comfortingly as he can, lifting a gloved hand to wipe away the girl's tears. She shies away just a bit, but allows him to wipe them away. "Ja? Are you a good girl who listens to your parents?"

She nods shakily, griping the lace of her dress tighter. "Lea is a good girl…"

Nodding numbly, Ingo gives her a concerned look. "Now, vhat is your name? Lea?"

"…Whitlea." She sniffs while shaking her head, her azure-blue eyes threatening to spill more tears.

"Now, Vhitle-"

"No, it's Whitlea!" She shouts indignantly, puffing her cheeks and placing her hands on her hips. "_White._ Lea." She says slowly for emphasis.

"Zhat is vat I said…" He says slowly, not wanting to upset her. "Look, How did you get here in Gear Station?" Not many families would go here together, and he knew that. It was a facility for transportation and battles, not for attractions.

She frowns this time, pressing her lips together as if trying to remember. "I dunno…"

He pinches his brow, before looking back at Whitlea. "Vhere vere you last vhen you vere with your mother and father? Do you remember vhere you vere before?" He asks finally.

"There… were a lot of people, and mommy said something about riding…"

"Riding zhe Subway?" He finishes, feeling somewhat doubtful of that possibility. Whitlea shakes her head and confirms it.

"…Feral Wheel." She mumbles finally. "Mommy wanted to ride the Feral Wheel with me and daddy."

"Feral Wheel?" Ingo gives her a dumb look, but is struck with sudden realization a moment later. "Zhe Ferris Wheel? Is zhat vhat you're talking about?"

Whitlea nods quickly, and seems to smile. Ingo sighs with relief. He's getting somewhere, however there's always the problem of actually _finding_ the girl's parents. Speaking of which, if they were at the amusement park, how could they let the girl wander all the way to Gear Station? How irresponsible, he thinks. Now, for the question of finding her parents? Perhaps he should just stay put at the station and keep Whitlea company until her parents find her-

"Mister?" Ingo's train of thought comes to a grinding halt as Whitlea tugs his sleeve with a hopeful, almost eager look. "Can you take me to my mommy and daddy?"

She _had_ to go and ask him, didn't she? He lifts off his green depot hat momentarily, and rubs the back of his head once more.

"Look, Vhitlea. I don't think I can. The only thing I can do for you is take you to zhe proper authorit-"

Before he even finishes his sentence, she bursts into tears again. She's crying even louder than before, and passerby are looking his way with concern. He unconsciously wonders to himself how wrong this scene looks.

"Bitte, hören Sie! I have a job to do here- I can't just abandon my post." He says in protest, nearly yelling before biting back his tongue. "I don't even know where your parents are in the first place-"

"Then you can help me look!" She sniffs, before giving him an _almost_ threatening look. It would have been threatening if she weren't less than half his size, seven(?), and crying.

"But-"

Determined, the girl grabs his sleeve again, and pleads, "…Please? Pretty please?"

In the daunting finality of the situation, he sighs with defeat. "…Fine. But no more crying, yes?"

Whitlea nods with renewed vigor, her azure-blue eyes sparkling with delight. "Okay! I promise. Let's go to the amusement park, okay?"

"Right, right…" He nods half-grudgingly as she drags him away.

* * *

><p>After haggling with security, Ingo and Whitlea finally make it into the park. It's bustling, crowded, loud with laughter and cheer.<p>

_Emmet_ _would love to go here,_ he thinks.

Despite hearing much about this Amusement Park from idle chatter of passerby and co-workers, Ingo never had the chance to actually go here before. If he said that he wasn't excited, he wouldn't be lying. However, there were times and places for everything, as the moment decreed that it _definitely_ wasn't the time for him to be excited. Not when he had to find a young girl's parents.

After glancing through the dense crowd in a rather morose manner, Ingo turns towards Whitlea and asks, "Are you sure your parents are he-?"

But then, he realizes that she's nowhere to be seen. He frowns, and begins glancing wildly through the crowd. Where did she go? He only took his eyes off of her for a moment-

"I'll take one, please!"

He hears her voice, jerking towards the side to see that she's at a cotton candy stall. After realizing that he noticed her, Whitlea gingerly walks back to him with a bright pink cloud of cotton candy in her hand. "Want some?" She offers, innocently holding out the cotton candy to him.

Ingo shakes his head, and frowns. "Nein, danke. You shouldn't go off on your own, you know." He chides sternly as he rubs the back of his head, and she looks away with a pout. "You're still a child-"

"Nu-uh! I'm a big girl." She says proudly, partly with a hint of protest. "I'm going to be nine this year! That means I'm one more year off from becoming a Pokemon Trainer! I'm gonna be a trainer with Cheren and Bel, and we're going to have the funnest adventure _ever_!"

"Is zhat so? Well, in any case, please don't go on your own, Vhit-"

"White. _Lea._" She pouts again, before giving him a blank look. "Why do you talk so funny, mister?"

"…It's an accent." He says, after a moment of concentration.

"What's an accent?" She asks innocently.

"It's something people like myself have vhen English izn't zheir first language."

"…Eh…? I think I get it." She nods thoughtfully to herself, nibbling away on her cotton candy. "Hey! If it helps, you can just call me Lea! Lay-ah. Is that okay?"

"Ah? If zhat's vhat you vant, I don't mind…" Again, Ingo sighs.

"Yay!" She squeals with glee, nearly dropping her treat as they begin walking alongside each other through the crowds. After a bit of walking, she stops, catching Ingo's sleeve again while pointing over to somewhere. "Oh, mister?" She says hopefully, her voice brimming with excitement. "Can we go over there?"

With piqued interest, Ingo glances to the side and realizes she's pointing to Teacups. An amusement park ride. With a flat look, he begins to open his mouth to say something to object, but stops once more, and sweat drops.

Whitlea's giving him a look. It's not the (nearly) threatening look like before, no. Rather, it's a puppy-eyed look. Like the kind Emmet gives him when he wants something of utmost interest, and hers is something almost adorable enough to give him diabetes.

"Please?" Her voice drips like honey, and Ingo can't find the heart to tell her no from the get-go. "It's my first time here! Well, second. Can I go?"

"…Just go. But remember Lea, ve're supposed to be looking for your parents." He points, smacking his palm into his face. "But, I digress… I'll just vatch from here, ja?"

Instead of immediately running off after hearing his answer, Whitlea tugs his green depot jacket. "You should go with me, mister! It'll be more fun this way."

"Vhat…" He gives her a incredulous look as both of his arms drops down to his sides, but her expression remains firm as she grabs his arm, and tugs him closer towards the ride. "I can't, people are going to get the vrong idea!" Ingo says in protest. "I-"

"Let's go!" She beams as she interrupts him, this time dragging him along. "If we hurry, we can get on the next one."

* * *

><p>Once seated in the teacup, an awkward Ingo wonders just <em>how<em> he ended up in this situation for the umpteenth.

"Are you ready, Mister?" Whitlea asks brightly, with he hands wrapped around the circular wheel in the middle. "When the ride starts, you have to spin this as much as you can, okay?"

"No, I don't even…" He says absentmindedly, still wondering to himself. "And vhat does this ride do…?"

"The teacups spin!" She grins as the cups begin to slowly rotate. With another excited look, she glances up at Ingo shifts the wheel with her small frame only a few inches. "C'mon, help me, Mister!"

"So vhat do I do again?" He asks, somewhat panicking. Whitlea laughs at him, and tugs the wheel counter-clockwise.

"Spin it! Go! Go, go!" Whitlea yelled encouragingly, much to the man's fluster.

Ingo sighs as he latches both of his hands on the wheel and gives a mighty tug. The sudden jolt causes the cup to begin spinning rapidly, and in turn Whitlea shrieks ecstatically as it picks up speed with every rotation.

Ingo can't help but smile slightly.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand how people can enjoy those kind of rides." Ingo mumbles dizzily. Whitlea on the other hand, seems completely fine.<p>

"It's 'cuz you're a grown up, that's why." Whitlea replies in a matter-of-fact tone. "But that was fun, wasn't it? Getting faster and faster, spinning in circles and getting dizzy… You did really good! Didn't you have fun?"

"I feel so flattered." He replies sarcastically, shaking his head a couple times to ward off the vertigo. "And… fun? I don't know about that. We're supposed to be looking for you parents, reme-"

"Hey, Mister?" She cuts him off, pointing at a Swanna-like structure, with dozens of swings hanging from its wings. "Let's go on that one next?"

"Absolutely not."

"Pleaaase?" She whines.

"Nein. I don't understand why half of the rides here have something to do with spinning or rotating or going in arcs-"

"But it's fun like that." She says simply, tugging his sleeve again. "And what does that mean? Does 'nein' mean yes?"

"No."

"No what?" She tilts her head curiously.

"Nein," He repeats. "Means 'no'."

"Oh." She murmurs blankly, before tugging at his sleeve again. "Then how about the Roller Coaster?"

"No." He was doubtful whether they would let her inside, anyway. It doubled as a Gym, of all things…

"Then let's go on the Merry-Go-Round?" She suggests.

Ingo scratches the back of his head and looks away from her insistent gaze. Merry-Go-Rounds seemed harmless enough-

"No, wait! I know!" She grins. "We can go on the Ferris Wheel together. Mommy said you can see all of the park from up there, so maybe we can find my mommy and daddy."

"…That's actually not a bad idea." Ingo admits, bringing his hand up to his chin to think.

"Hehe. I'm a smart girl, that's why." Whitlea says contentedly, before taking his other hand.

"What are you doing?" He asks, ready to pull his hand away, but she squeezes it ever so slightly.

"I'm holding your hand, that's what." She smiles dazzlingly, blinking her azure eyes at him. "That way, you won't get lost. This is your first time here, isn't it Mister?"

"Yes, but-" Ingo begins to protest, but again bites back his tougue.

"Then that's that." She replies off-handedly while looking up at Ingo. "If you're gonna take me to my mommy and daddy, then it's only fair I get to take you to the Ferris Wheel, okay?"

_What is this, a date_? He thinks to himself as she pulls him gently towards the looming structure in the distance.

* * *

><p>For the first time since Ingo has been stuck with this girl, she's quietly watching the scenery of the park from the Ferris Wheel carriage. It seems, she's actually staying true to her word, and actually looking for her parents. "Hey, hey mister?" She asks, breaking the tender silence as she shoots him a side-glance from where she sits. "Did you have fun adventures with your friends?"<p>

"…No. I didn't go on a Pokemon journey, like most." He shakes his head, recalling far off memories.

"Then what did you do?" Whitlea asks curiously,

"I dedicated myself to my studies. Now, I work at Gear station, vhere we met."

"What happens at Gear Station?"

The questions never seemed to stop from this girl, did they? "It's also known as the Battle Subway." Ingo replies with an informative tone. "It's a battle facility vhere extremely skilled trainers go to test zheir skills."

"Wooooow…" She gasps with awe. "And you work there? That means you're a really good trainer, huh? I wanna go there when I grow up!"

"You zhink you'll be a good battler?"

"Mhm! I'm going to be the very best in Unova! I'm going to the champion!" She boasts, nearly shouting. "After I do all of that, I'll go to the Battle Subway and win, and even beat you!"

"Oh ho." Now this has his attention. "Is zhat a challenge, Lea?"

"Yep. I'll definitely beat you someday. I promise."

"I'm not sure I vant to agree to be beaten."

"Well duh." She frowns, placing her hands on her hips. "I wanna win fair and square, so don't hold back. How about that?"

"Fine zhen."

"Pinky promise?" She asks, offering her left pinky to the older man. Obligingly, Ingo smiles ever so slightly as he hooks his left pinky around hers, causing her to shake it several times.

"I promise." He says in an acknowledging tone.

"And if I win, you have to go with me on all the rides I want, okay?" She sneaks, and Ingo gives her an disbelieving look as she pulls away her pinky with a mischievous smile.

"Wait, _vhat_?"

"Oh!" She gasps, pointing over to the glass. "I can see my mommy and daddy from here."

"Wait, vhat vere you-?"

"Right there, see?" She interrupts, pointing to the glass with emphasis. "They're talking to that person over there."

"Once we get the Ferris Wheel, we'll go there immediately, ja?"

"Okay!" After nodding in agreement, she averts her gaze back out to the window for a few moments of silence. "Hey…" She looks over at him with a curious stare, almost feverish. "We'll play again, right?"

"I'm not too sure about playing… but you owe me a battle now, apparently." Ingo shrugs. "I suppose, we'll meet again, perhaps in some other time at zhe Battle Subway."

"Okay…" She mumbles quietly, thoughtfully before peering back up at him with a tiny frown. "You better not forget, okay mister? You better not!"

"Pfft." In all technicalities, he does't expect _her_ to remember.

"You promised!" She puffs her cheeks indignantly. "You promised, so you have to keep it, okay?"

"I von't forget." He answers deftly as the Ferris Wheel slows to a stop, back on ground level. "But, remember. You have to beat me if you vant me to fulfill my end of zhe deal."

"Hee hee. Watch, I'm going to surprise you!" She grins, taking his hand again for balance as she steps off the Ferris Wheel carriage. "It'll be the best battle that you'll ever have!"

Ingo tilts his hat forward to the girl as she laughs jovially. Both of them begin walking, and amidst the loudness of the crowd, Ingo allows himself to smile as Whitlea releases his hand and sprints towards her hysterical parents. As she laughs with joy and her parents kneel down to hug her, he stays back, and walks away from the scene feeling content with his deed.

He stops, glancing back at the touching scene behind him. Quietly, Ingo murmurs, "I look forward to it, Lea."

As he left the Amusement Park with those parting words, Ingo didn't realize that she turned back around for him.

The girl, Whitlea, had burst into tears in front of her parents when she realized the unnamed 'mister' was gone.

* * *

><p>- <em><strong>Seven Years Later <strong>_-

* * *

><p>"Ah. Your battle was not bad at all." He tilts his hat forward at the challenger, peering forward. It's a girl this time around; She's looking downward with hands clutching her knees, and her rich, unruly, chestnut-brown pontytail-bound hair is spilling over her head. She put up a very good battle; an exciting one at that. For a moment, Ingo thinks she's crying, but oh no. He mustn't fret over challengers like this, no. "However, it seems that we have done slightly better than you."<p>

She grits her teeth, and sighs with some kind of finality as she looks gingerly to the side. Her voice is tentative, careful. "Well… you aren't called _the_ Subway Boss for nothing, right?"

"Of course." He nods, and closes his eyes. "That said, I vould enjoy another battle vith you, granted zhat you win another twenty battles." He reopens them, and gives her an unflappable stare. "You are a talented trainer, nein? I vish to see what you'll do vith that talent, Miss…?"

"White." She finishes for him, peering upward at him. Her stare is fierce, daunting, almost threatening… yet nostalgic. Has he seen it before? "And don't count me out, Mister Subway Boss. I've still got fight left in me."

"Is that so?" He shifts, allowing a slight, _slight_ smirk to grace his lips.

"That's right." Her face lights up with joy and satisfaction as her lips tug into a grin. "Hehe, I promised someone a long time ago that I would beat them at the Battle Subway, and I intend to keep that promise."

Ingo's eyes visibly widen.

"I don't quite remember, but… I know he's somewhere here. Aha, funny, isn't it? I don't even know why I'm telling this to you." She smiles awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck before glancing back at the Subway Boss. "But anyway! This little setback? It's nothing." In a sudden burst, she stamps her foot forward and thrusts her arm at him with her pointer first. "I'll definitely defeat you one day!"

A promise to beat someone. Ingo, for the first in a long while manages to stifle a laugh. He coughs to excuse it, tightening his façade all the while. He exhales a deep breath as the Subway begins to slow to a stop before speaking. "I'd like to see you try, fräulein White. Regardless, keep in mind no matter what you do, there is no such stop called 'End' in your life, whether you win or lose. Thank you for riding the Battle Subway today. I presume ve'll meet again?"

"You can count on it." She beams as she walks towards him and the exit, stopping momentarily to as their eyes meet. "I promise." Her azure-blue eyes sparkle with delight as she walks past him unstopping, and for a moment, Ingo forgets to breath until the door softly shuts.

"Ich kann nicht glauben, dass diese…" He mutters breathlessly in his mother tongue, resisting the urge to break into laughter as he sits. Once he's alone, Ingo tilts his cap downward as an rare smile of realization grows on his face.

"_Lea_? No, that can't be… She said her name was White. Wasn't that girl's name Whitlea? Perhaps, it's all coincidence… but maybe… no. Until next time, perhaps… there's no way of really knowing." He sighs, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. "But she'll be back, hm?" With an easing finality, he eases into the seat as the Subway begins its return track home to Nimbasa.

"…I look forward to it, White."

* * *

><p><strong>An**: Was it fluffy enough? I have no idea. This was my first time writing fluff, actually... Leave a review if you like it. Thank you for taking the time to read this, my dear readers.


	2. To be Reminded

**A/n**: AHAHAHA, OH WOW. In the case if you haven't heard, Ingo scored Second in the official popularity contest, and Emmet scored Third. N scored first place, of course. This chapter's kind of on the short side in my opinion. However, there will be a third part. It may take a while because I have a cold. Bear with me, please.

* * *

><p>Whitlea, or commonly known as just 'White' to her friends, sits on a bench in Gear Station, alone and contemplative, perhaps a tad bit dejected and also hat-less as she watches the crowd pass her by. She's lost to Ingo again for the umpteenth, dear Arceus.<p>

As she thinks of any number of things, the Subway Bosses come to mind. White has met both of them at separate times and several together on the Subway lines, while at other times she had the chance of running into them while they were 'on break'.

They were rather easy-going. Or at least, Emmet was while Ingo seemed like all business. One was always smiling, and the other always frowning. One wore white, the other wore black. They seemed like complete opposites personality-wise too. Emmet was spontaneous. Ingo would always think of what to say before anything. Emmet always had an excited spring in his step, whereas Ingo would always strut in a calm, quick pace. They always wore gloves, and sometimes White would imagine what their hands feel like under them.

She recalls the silky feeling of a gloved hand in hers, but she can't remember when such a thing even happened. The memory is there, however. She also remembers getting lost in Nimbasa a long time ago, and being helped by a stranger whose face was lost to the ever-flowing current of time. White knows he exists, whoever 'he' may be.

It's funny, she thinks as she stifles a melancholic laugh. The only thing she really remembers is a promise that she made to him. A promise of meeting at Gear Station to battle, after becoming the very best that she could be.

Was becoming a Hero good enough? Was stopping Team Plasma good enough? What was she missing?

She was supposed to be the very best, but if she kept losing to him… that couldn't be true, right? Furthermore, she has no idea who that person is. She never got a name; she had obtained nothing but a promise to keep and a place where they could meet again, someday.

Of course, she had no idea when 'someday' was. With a sigh, White cups her hands in her lap and doubles over in a slump. If only she could meet that person again…

"Hey, hey, Ingo?"

White freezes, and realizes that the Subway Masters are somewhere close by. Where, she doesn't know. Perhaps she should just move to a quieter place.

"…Yes, Emmet?"

"I don't understand something." He chimes, and White raises her head with interest. "Vhy you're alvays so tough against zhat Fräulein White. Es ist Wie Du absichtlich versucht, sicherzustellen, dass. she Nicht Gewinnen."

White internally groans. Never could she understand what they were saying, and personally, sometimes it crept her out. And of all things, they were talking about her… Wonderful.

"It's the regular old Singles train too, ja?" Emmet continues, switching back to English. "Vhy bother going all out on zhe girl if ve're supposed to be gauging a trainer's ability?"

Emmet brings up a good point. Now if only she knew why.

"I have my reasons." He answers plainly as Emmet hooks his arm over Ingo's neck.

"And what reason would be? Come now, tell me!" He says playfully, and Ingo groans.

"…Let's just say that I don't want to risk losing to her."

"Hah?" Emmet manages to give him a flabbergasted look while still smiling. "Vhy is zhat? You've never had a problem with losing against other trainers."

"Nein. It's not like I lose because I vant to." Ingo retorts, clearly annoyed. "Es ist wegen eines Versprechens ich sie gemacht, eine sehr lange her."

"Ahh, Is that it?" Emmet chirps thoughtfully. "Zhat's just like you, Ingo. To always keep your promises. But, have you considered the possibility zhat she doesn't remember?"

White frowns to herself. What were they talking about now? Promises? Who forgot what now?

"Yes." He nods. "But… I'd rather risk not losing in the case that she _does_ remember."

"Vhat did you promise her anyvay?"

"A…" Ingo mumbles something inaudibly, and White strains her ears to hear.

"Ah? I can't hear you~" Emmet snickers in a teasing tone, and for the first time, White sees Ingo of all people, flustered and embarrassed with reddened cheeks.

It was… cute. Uncharacteristically cute, but adorable nonetheless.

"Ein Datum." He mutters, throwing a glare at the white-garbed Subway Boss.

"Louder." Emmet grins, and Ingo stares daggers at him.

"A DATE. Zhere. Are you satisfied?"

"…" All seems serious for a moment. Even White holds her breath at the realization and quickly puffs a short breath, just as Emmet bursts into a fit of laughter and clutches his sides in the hilarity of his older brother's situation. "You promised her a _DATE_ if she von? Are you kidding me?"

"I-It's not like I agreed to it!" He stutters. "She forced me to promise zhat! She was only eight at the time, how could I say no? I didn't expect her to remember eith-"

"Aah, so cute!" Emmet laughs, evidently enjoying this. "Zhe cool, calm, and serious Ingo forced into a promise by a eight-year old girl! And it's a _date_ to boot!" He yells both ecstatically and dramatically as he clasps his hands together. "So precious! I'm going to laugh at you if it turns out that she actually remembers zhat promise!"

Little to their knowledge, White was eavesdropping on every word. What a revelation she was getting.

"Emmet, you dummkopf!" Ingo visibly reddens, thrusting a punch squarely into Emmet's jaw. "Just shut up!"

"Ach, hey! I vas only joking!" Emmet rubs his injured cheek, still grinning. With an almost wolfish grin, he continues. "But honestly, this is too much. Oh Arceus, my cool, dear older bruder has a date vith zhe lovely Fräulein White?"

"I _don't_ know if it's actually her though. It's been seven damned years- I honestly didn't expect her to go to the Battle Subway!" he nearly yells in protest, charisma so very close to breaking. "The fact that she said what she said to me the first time she challenged me somewhat proves it, but still-"

"I never knew you had a thing for younger girls, Ingo." Emmet interrupts with a smug look. Ingo's eye visibly twitches.

"I don't. Nein. No way. Absolutely not." He says flatly, his lips tugging in a frown that shouldn't even be humanly possible. He smacks his hand, against his forehead, nearly knocking off his hat. "She's sixteen for god's sake, Emmet. I-"

"You like her. Why else would you remember and keep zhat promise with her for so long, hmm?" Emmet says with a pointed look, and presses a finger onto Ingo's lips, bringing in his face close to Ingo's. "Don't sell me short, Ingo. I know all your little tendencies whether you vant to admit zhem or not. Ve're twins after all, ja?"

Now silent, Ingo pushes Emmet back, tilting and covering his eyes with his cap. "It's only a promise. Nothing more, or less."

"Hah, don't think I notice the way you watch her. Pfft, so…" Emmet looks up for a moment. "…Vhat was that word again? The one vhere a person is mean to the one they love, then nice to them?"

"Tsundere, right?" A new voice chimes in. White glances over to them, to see that Blair, aka Black has joined in the conversation.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Black." Emmet nods enthusiastically, smacking his palm into his other hand. "Ingo is tsundere for-"

Before the word can even escape his lips, another fist connects with Emmet's other cheek, knocking him back. "Didn't I tell you to shut up about that?"

"Can't I have my fun, Ingo?" Emmet breaths, before punching Ingo in the stomach and thusly knocking the wind out of him. "Zhat's for punching me twice, ja?"

Black smiles awkwardly at the two brothers, and laughs. "Ingo, tsundere? I dunno, I've always imagined him more as the Kuudere type."

"Kuudere?" Emmet gives a curious look, as Ingo recovers from the punch. "Oh, I can see zhat. Yup, definitely. And Black! How have you been?"

"Better, more or less. I've got some new strategies up my sleeve to try against you guys." He grins. "What about you two?"

"Oh, Ingo and I vere just discussing life and death matters." He says nonchalantly. In response, Black raises an eyebrow.

"It's _nothing_," Ingo says with painstaking emphasis while glowering at Emmet. "I can assure you that, Black."

"Well, whatever you say." Black shrugs dismissively, pushing both of his hands into his pockets. "Say, have you guys seen White anywhere?"

"White?" Both of them say at the same time.

"Yeah. I was gonna ask her if she wanted to take the Multi Line challenge with me." He grins, before scratching his cheek. "You know, like they say, two heads are better than one… That, and I've never had the chance to take it."

"I guess." Emmet grins. "You're almost like a regular here, eh Black? Speaking of vhich, vhy haven't you tried taking zhe Super Doubles yet?"

"I did." Black sighs, relinquishing his happy demeanor for just a moment. "You can say that I didn't expect… well yeah." He sighs. "I got my ass handed to me on my fifth battle."

"Ahh, no vorries." Emmet laughs, slapping the sixteen year old on the back. "You'll get better. Definitely. I can't these things about challengers, yup! Right Ingo-?"

Just as Emmet turned to face Ingo, both found that the black-garbed Subway Boss was nowhere to be found. Neither was White for that matter, as she had left a bit ago to find someplace quieter so she could think to herself.

* * *

><p>"…Oh god, it's him." White, was attempting to sort out her thoughts and memories amidst the frenetic revelation she had received minutes ago from her eavesdropping. She was now pacing back and forth in front of Gear Station, not caring whether passerby were staring at her or not.<p>

"It's him, it's him, it's him-" She sucked in a breath, attempt to calm herself down. Instead, she seated herself on a nearby bench and buried her face in her hands, allowing her ponytail to spill over her head.

Ingo had said it himself. He promised a girl something so very long ago. She had promised a battle to the man who had reunited her with her parents. But dear god, she had also made him promise a _date_ to her if he lost?

No, wait. It was that he would take her on all the rides she could ever want.

Yes, that was it.

…

The pieces were returning to her in full force, and she remembers spending those few hours of looking with him all those years ago. His hand was warm in hers. Soft, with the addition of the glove, but she wanted to see how it felt without it.

…A date, huh?

…

If White said that she didn't want that, she'd be lying.

Ingo seemed scary at first, mostly due to the fact that he never smiled, but his words were kind. He was always encouraging her to get better, now that she thought about it…

If anything, her revelation only made her want to win stronger than before.

With newfound determination, she stood up and dialed Cheren on her Xtransceiver. If anyone knew anything about strategy in regards to battling, it would be him. But Cheren was always a stickler for details. Perhaps if she got Bianca to join in, he would give way without asking any questions.

She would definitely surprise Ingo, yes indeed.

* * *

><p>She had been gone for nearly two weeks, spending extensive training with Cheren in Victory Road with Bianca tagging along, White had learned the finer points of strategy and poise through trial and error. Cheren had definitely grown stronger since she had last seen him without a doubt, and in turn she learned something from him.<p>

While normally, she maintained a balance between brute force and tactics, in her time away she had learned how to guesstimate her opponent's next moves; to anticipate the next move and make a counter. To always stay a step ahead.

She had learned many things throughout her journey, yes. Coming back together with her friends only laced it, allowing everything to come together. White had battled Ingo too many times, perhaps. However, for the first time, all of his moves seemed all too predictable.

White was victorious, and it had never tasted so sweet.

"I…" She breathed, before jumping up into the air with an overjoyed laugh. "I did it!"

She practically pranced over to her Mienshao and laughed as she knelt down and hugged it. Ingo, on the other hand was stunned. Standing up, White's eyes met with the Subway Boss's eyes.

"Bravo!" He utters, breaking into a round of applause for the sixteen year old. "Your talent has brought you to the destination called Victory! And must I add, what a battle that was, Fräulein White."

"Hehe." She grins, returning her Mienshao, and walking over to Ingo with her hands on her hips. "I told you I'd surprise you, didn't I, Mister Ingo?" She wouldn't tell him just yet. Not yet.

"Indeed you have." He admits, tipping his hat to the girl. "However, your journey has just started. When you choose your next destination, go full speed ahead."

"Well, before that…" She starts to say, and smiles vividly at the Subway Boss. "Do you remember?"

Visibly, she sees him freeze and blanch at the mention of 'remember'.

"Remember?" She beams innocently, her smile broadening as she allowed the suspense of the situation to sink in. Again, like before, she watches the Subway Boss's face take a darker shade of red which is barely visible beneath his conductor's cap.

"I… I'm not sure what you're referring to." Ingo replies with an almost reluctant tone, before shaking his head. "Please… elaborate?"

"You promised, remember?" She says mildly with a teasing tone.

"…" With an utterly defeated look, Ingo removes his cap and runs his hand against his slicked hair. "I remember." He says simply, with an almost exasperate tone.

"So…" White murmurs, glancing demurely at the man. "Does that mean you'll go with me?"

"Yes. I promised, didn't I…?" For a moment, White wonders if he's asking himself rather than her.

Guiltily, she looks to her feet. "You know what? It's okay. I don't want to force you to go with me-"

"Nein." Ingo declares flatly. White blinks at him questioningly as he continues. "You do remember vhat that means, correct? If you are indeed that girl…" He sighs. White watches as the corners of his mouth turn up briefly as he drops his hat back on his head. "I promised, after all."

"Ehe… Awesome!" She grins, clasping his hand. "And as promised, you have to go with me on all the rides I want, okay?"

"Right, right…" He waves his hand at her dismissively, smile gone without a trace.

"Soo… is Saturday okay?" White asks tentatively, letting go of his hand. "Oh, wait… you have challenges, don't you? And isn't Saturday one of the busiest days for you?"

"It's fine. I'll have zhat dummkopf Emmet cover for me."

"If you say so." Shrugging briefly, she looks back up Ingo. "…Hehe. I'll see you later then, okay? Is noon okay for you?"

"Got it. And yes, I'll be free at noon."

"We'll meet in front of Gear Station, okay?"

"Ja." He apparently was getting tired of her questions and inquisitions.

"Thank you!"

As the train steadily slowed to a stop, White made her way outside in a rather quick fashion after uttering a quick 'Bye' to Ingo. Her heart was beating terribly fast; she felt giddy inside, the butterflies in her stomach were causing a storm. Was her face red?

She couldn't believe it. He actually said yes! Ingo, one of the Subway Bosses was going on a date with her! Feeling excited as well as happy with herself, she returned to Nimbasa with a broad smile on her face.

Meanwhile, in the front car, Emmet was howling with laughter much to Ingo's chagrin.


	3. To Be Rescued

**A/n**: HEADCANON DICTATES THAT INGO IS 29-32-ish. Don't like it? DEAL WITH IT.

At seven years ago, the youngest he would be is 22, while the oldest is 25. 25 makes more sense for me because of my head canon history for them. Ingo got hired at Gear Station at 24. And then there's the addition of time working his way to become a Subway Boss with Emmet, which is the seven years. I'm pretty sure you have to work for a position like that… I mean, instantly getting a position like that sounds too farfetched to be true. God, I don't know. Sorry.

**Prompt: **A IngoxWhite Story with a lot of fluff.

I added my personal touch of comedy, but even still I don't know how to write that. I just go with what seems right to me, or the typical "how would the characters act in this situation" deal. All that jazz and whatnot. It works most of the time.

A warning though: This chapter switches between Ingo and White's POV. Part two of the date is coming up soon.

* * *

><p>Ingo should have seen this coming. He really should have. He had seven years to think about it, but no, he didn't. Now it had come to this, of all things.<p>

When he left Emmet and Black to themselves that day, the reason for that was because he saw her exiting Gear Station.

So he followed her.

And saw her entire epiphany regarding their promise.

What a shock that had been, oh yes. And her disappearance for those two weeks? Worrying, but he should have known better. That, and he's not supposed to worry about her. She was a bright, smart girl- she had said so herself. She returned more confident than ever, but cautious. He saw that during their battle. And admittedly, what a battle that was.

He expected her to bring it up at the end. He knew she would bring it up. So why didn't he have a better reaction? Well, some things couldn't be feigned. And his surprise despite knowing was one of those things.

White is sixteen. He is thirty-two. He was twice her age, goddamn it. How stupid for Emmet to even imply that he had feelings for the girl. It was… wrong. Wrong for him to want her in that way.

Promises were promises. If you don't keep them, you break them. He wasn't about to break a promise. Especially, if anyone, not a promise with her…

Wait, wait, what was he thinking? He mustn't think of her that way. No.

More or less, Saturday seems to come by all too soon. He's still inside Gear Station, freshly returning from a Singles challenge and is grudgingly preparing for his 'date'. He still has time. He wouldn't forget something he's kept in his mind for seven years.

Since the time she won, Emmet's been 'reminding' (read as teasing) him nonstop.

Like now.

"Hey, hey bruder? What are you going to do? Are you going to be such a sourpuss about it? Or are you going to enjoy yourself for once?" Emmet chimes with a Cheshire-esqe grin.

"I don't know. And shut up, will you?" Ingo retorts brusquely, rubbing his forehead with a tentative expression. "I'm letting you know in advance, but you're going to take care of all the paperwork while I'm gone. And I'm not asking, Emmet."

"Ach, whyyyy? Why are you always like this?" He whines with a slight pout. "Oh, fine. Just don't be such a killjoy to Fräulein White. It's a date. A date." He repeats for emphasis. "Entertain the girl, will you?"

"And what do you recommend that I do? This isn't as trifle as your little dates with Elesa-"

"At least I know how to enjoy myself!" He replies cheerfully with a flaunting smile. "And don't call my date with Elesa 'trifle'. She knows how to enjoy herself when she's not being all business. Elesa's smart, sophisticated, nice, and dedicated. Like you." Emmet says blankly. "The difference is that you don't know how to have fun."

"I do." Ingo fumes, then shortly sighs afterward. "I just… I don't know, Emmet. She's sixteen-"

"So what if she's sixteen?" He murmurs with a chiding tone, chuckling slightly to himself. "You like her. You've never looked at other girls the way you look at her. Moreover, if it really bothers you, you don't even have to think of it as a date. You said so yourself it technically wasn't, so what's bothering you, hmm? Hmm, Ingo?"

Emmet could be so annoying sometimes. Ingo shakes his head in rebuttal. "I don't think of it as one."

"Oh," Emmet shrugs helplessly, still smiling. "But you do."

"I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"I _don't_."

"You _do_."

"Nein." Ingo glares, and Emmet shrugs. "Now be quiet."

"Why should I?" He counters. "Are you having trouble picking what tie you're going to wear? I know you only have blue ties. Sometimes I borrow them when I can't find mine."

Ingo audibly groans, his palm meeting his face. Emmet ignores him, and continues.

"You know, I bet you're going to have a lot of fun with her. I also bet she's going to be the one to knock that silly frown off of your face. That is, if she hasn't already." Emmet grins cheekily, following Ingo to his office. Playfully, he pokes the older twin's cheek. "She has, hasn't she?"

"Hmph." Ingo grumbles, brushing off Emmet's hand from his face. Emmet laughs jovially in response.

"You're so obstinate. Sometimes I can't believe we're twins."

"And sometimes your stupidity has me question whether I'm really related to you."

"So stubborn."

"Such a Dummkopf."

"Tsundere."

"…Just shut up, would you?"

"J-Just shut up…! Dummkopf!" Emmet snickers in a mocking voice. Ingo's hand curls into a clenched fist as his frown tugs deeper. Sensing his older brother's annoyance, Emmet sighs and slaps his hand against Ingo's back. "But seriously bruder. Do you really not want to go with her? I can just switch with you if you don't want to. Nobody will know."

"That won't be necessary." Ingo sighs, allowing his hand to slacken and fall against his side. Slowly, he removes his coat and hat, hanging them on a peg. "I promised I would go with her." He murmurs softly.

For a moment, Emmet just stares at his brother, smiling with a bit more cheer than one would realize. "You really do like her, don't you?"

This time, Ingo doesn't reply.

Sighing contently, Emmet shrugs to himself as he and Ingo walk out of the office, towards the stairs to the front of Gear Station. With Emmet a few steps shy of the exit, her turns around and faces Ingo. "Don't forget to have fun now, hmm?" He smiles as he bats his brother's shoulder encouragingly.

"And don't forget to do the paperwork."

"Pfft, just who exactly do you think I am?" Emmet murmurs in a flippant and chiding manner. "I'm not nearly incompetent as you make me out to be, Ingo. I am Emmet. But I am a Subway Boss too. I can do this."

"Right, right…" Waving his hand dismissively, Ingo and Emmet exchange smiles for a moment. "I know you can."

"Yup. And I know your 'date' won't be as bad as you're dreading it to be."

"Hmph." Ingo clucks his tongue.

The two exchange a small smile for a moment. Afterwards, the two begin to walk past each other. As Emmet begins heading back to the Battle Subway and Ingo heads outside, the pair's hands connect with a simple high-five.

Once Ingo is gone, Emmet glances over his shoulder and rubs his chin in contemplation. After bit of thinking to himself, he rolls his sleeve upward, revealing an Xtransceiver. Slowly, he dials a number, and waits for his call to be picked up.

"Ah, hello? It's Emmet~!"

"Oh...? Emmet?"

"Yup. It's me."

"Is something up?"

"No, no, not at all. Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor…"

* * *

><p>Saturday had seemed to take forever to come. For her, at least. White arrived somewhat early, but soon regretted it. Her anticipation and anxiety were driving her mad.<p>

Rather than gussying up for the occasion, White chose to wear her regular attire. Nothing was necessarily wrong with it- at least, to her it wasn't. Cheren fussed over her appearance on a daily basis back when they were kids, and Bianca would always invite her to go shopping with her, but even still, she didn't indulge herself in fashion. Normally, she wasn't self-conscious of her looks. Why was she worrying about it now?

"Hmm…" Whitlea hums to herself as she leans against a lamppost outside of Gear Station. Uncertain, she glances at her Xtransceiver for the time.

11:58. Two more minutes. How long has she been waiting? Since 11:30?

She glances around tentatively once more for any sign of him. All she sees is random passerby, and some couples walking side by side. She wonders if they're heading towards the amusement park, or towards the Pokemon Musical.

11:59. She unconsciously wonders if he's really going to show up.

They were supposed to meet up at noon, weren't they…? Again, she glances down at her Xtransceiver, feeling foolish for coming so early. The wait feels like it's taking forever, but then again, it's partially her fault for showing up so early. She was too excited.

"Maybe he's busy doing something?" She mumbles to herself, flattening her back against the street light with a slight sigh. "Huh… that sounds about right. I wonder what though?"

12:00.

"Ahem."

Quickly, White turns to her side only to see that Ingo is standing there, hatless and coatless, but oddly enough he still has his gloves on. His hair is slicked back, but a few stray strands cover his face, which is graced by a frown like all the other times she's seen him.

"Oh! Hey!" She smiles, feeling upbeat to see that he actually didn't blow her off.

"Hello, Fräulein White."

"How are you?" She asks with a lilt tone. "Are you ready to go, Mister Ingo?"

"I'm the same, as per usual. It's surprising to see that you're on time… no offense intended." He replies almost awkwardly, looking to the side as he rubs the back of his neck. Was he complimenting her? "…And to answer your question, yes, I suppose."

"That's good to hear! I'm doing okay myself." She chimes, hiding her arms behind her back. With an impetuous grin, she takes a few steps forward and points towards the general direction of the Amusement Park. "Let's go!"

"Of course…"

"So, now that we're here…" Ingo begins to say, glancing around the crowd. "May I ask, where would you like to go first, Lady White?"

"'Lady' White?" She raises an eyebrow, digging her nose out of the Park Guide to look at Ingo.

"It's… what Fräulein means. Not necessarily, but it's just one rough translation of it." He elaborates. "Something more direct would be 'Little miss'."

"Oh." She says blankly, staring up at the Subway Boss. "Why don't you just call me 'White' like Emmet does?"

"…" Ingo seems to mutter something to himself that White can't hear. After a moment, he shakes his head and glances over at her map dismissively. "Where would you like to go first?"

Is he ignoring me? She thinks to herself as her lips twist into a minor pout. "Um… let's go in the haunted house?"

He nods rather languidly, she notes. "Do you know where it is?"

"According to the map, it's not really far." She mumbles, pointing over to its location so he can see. "Let's go?"

"Of course."

As the pair began walking amongst the crowd towards their destination, White couldn't help but feel guilty for dragging him into this so-called 'date'. Even though they were walking together, he was being absurdly quiet. It made her wonder: was she boring him? Was he just going along with her because of that promise they made, and for nothing else? It only made her wonder…

Why did he agree to go with her in the first place? White knew Ingo was a busy person. So why?

Absentmindedly, she turns to him and stares at his face. He's still frowning, still serious-looking like always. But then again, does he ever smile? As she stares, Ingo finally notices, and glances at her.

"Is something wrong, Lady White?"

"…It's nothing. It's just kind of weird how you're calling me 'Lady'. That's really formal, y'know?" She shakes her head, feeling flustered for staring at him for so long. Puzzled, he tilts his head slightly at her before continuing.

"We're here." He says, pointing over to the entrance. Finally, White looks up.

It's a big place, to say in the least. Decorations of Duskull dolls and other assorted ghost Pokemon are lined up in neat rows around the front as prizes from making it out the fastest. The entrance is grim, almost threatening in contrast to the liveliness of the rest of the Amusement Park.

"Welcome!" A lady dressed as a Froslass greets, beckoning that Ingo and White come closer. "You're here for the Haunted House challenge, right?"

"Yep!" White nods. Ingo watches on with less enthusiasm.

"That's wonderful. Absolutely wonderful…" She laughs in a sinisterly, sneering towards White. "You two wouldn't happen to be a couple, would you? Is there anymore to your group?"

"I'm her chaperon." Ingo answers almost immediately. Reluctantly, White nods. "There's no one else either. Will that be a problem?"

"Is that so? And no, it's not a problem at all." The lady says rather whimsically. "I'm just curious, but have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"That there's a legend that accompanies this haunted house." The woman says slyly. "A long time ago, there were two lovers in love as a pair of Volbeat and Illumise."

"Proceed..."

"Both of them had a terrible fight. It was over a small thing, something as trivial as truth and ideals… and their fights grew worse, and far more violent. The man left her, leaving the lady to realize how much she loved him." White stifles a laugh at how ironic the 'legend' is. Ignoring her, the lady continues. "The women, agitated in her distress that the man had left her, could not bear to see couples so deeply in love due to how her romance abruptly ended."

"So what happened next?" White asks, feeling silly for egging the woman on.

"One day, she spied a couple go into this haunted house. Jealous, she followed them inside and confronted the couple. 'How dare you show off your love!' She screamed, placing her hands on the boy. Before the girl could do anything, the spurned woman dragged her lover away, where he was never to be seen again. It wasn't just once, either. Every time a couple has entered, only one emerges as a result of that woman's grudge. Some say the woman became a Froslass as a result, freezing the men solid so their love would never wane."

"…That's supposed to be a tragic love story?" Ingo asks, raising an eyebrow. White on the other hand begins coughing in an attempt to prevent herself from bursting into laughter.

"Say what you will." The woman says indignantly, snapping her head to the side. "Since you said that you're not a couple, I assume that you two will be spared."

"…Right." Ingo mutters skeptically.

"So, can we go in now?" White asks plainly.

"Of course." The woman smiles, gesturing to the doll stand. "If you two manage to make your way out within a certain time, you win one of the dolls on that stand."

"Ha, awesome!" White grins, pulling Ingo's sleeve. "Come on Mister Ingo! This is going to be a piece of cake."

"Of course, of course…"

* * *

><p>As the two walked inside, they were greeting by floating lights and effects, which White noted were similar to Shantual's area in the Elite Four. It wasn't exactly as she imagined- Rather than tombstones and zombies, they seemed to be in a straight path. With windows showing images. There also was a thick, musty haze fluttering lightly over the floor, and furthermore, it was dark and cold, as well as alarmingly quiet due to the lack of conversation between them.<p>

"This place is really well-made, isn't it?" White murmurs, tapping lightly on one of the windows.

"It is." He nods in agreement. "I suppose if it were cheap, they wouldn't attract many customers."

"Hehe. I guess." White grins, stopping to glance over at the Subway Master. "But they really could use some work on the story-"

Before she can finish her sentence, a blood-curdling scream rings out, startling her. Before she can react, the window behind her shatters as a multitude of stained arms reach through, attempting to drag her to the other side. At the same time, Ingo is also assaulted, and being wrenched through.

Screaming, White flails and struggles as they hoist her closer to the window, almost pulling her through-

"Lady White!" Ingo yells, quickly batting away the arms holding him back and wrenching her away from the window. Grabbing her hand, Ingo pulls her away and runs further down the hallway. After making it a good distance away, he stops, releasing her hand. "Are you all right?"

"H-Holy shi-…Yeah." She pants quickly, cutting her curse before glancing back to look at Ingo. "Just a bit startled- I mean, jeez." She sighs exasperatedly, attempting to catch her breath at the same time. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

"…We should proceed with caution." Ingo murmurs quietly, glancing around. White begins to nod at first, but stops dead, and freezes. With a worried stare, Ingo tilts his his head slightly. "Lady White?"

"…Lass…"

"B-B-behind you!" She points and stutters, as a pair of bone chilling arms wrap around Ingo's waist.

"Froooooss…~" A Froslass murmurs softly as the surroundings begin to freeze, with tender frost crawling on the walls. Ingo attempts to look back, but it holds him fast, numbing his arms with frost. With a quiet hum, it begins dragging him away into the recesses of the maze.

She's still frozen on the other hand. She watches Ingo futilely attempt to struggle out of the Froslass's arms while it laughs softly, dragging him further and further away…

"Let go of him!" White yells, running towards the Froslass and Ingo. It slowly blinks in surprise before picking up the pace, dragging him away at an even faster rate. "I said, give him back!"

Sprinting now, she latches onto the Froslass's slender arms, and rips them away. The frost stings at the touch, but she continues, determined to take him back. Ingo is hers for the day; as if she'd let some Pokemon steal him from her. Grabbing his hand, White tugs him away from the Pokemon forcefully before breaking into another run.

"Let's get out of here!" She yells to Ingo as the Froslass disappears from her peripheral view, but she can feel the cold crawling, catching them on their heels. She tries running faster.

"Fros…!" A jet blue beam of condensed ice freezes the floor, causing her to slip.

"Eek!" She screams as her balance is thrown off and slips; White shuts her eyes, bracing for impact that never comes. Next thing she knows, is that she's staring up at Ingo while he carries her in both of his arms. She's no longer paying attention to any of her surroundings as far as she's concerned.

All she can see is him.

"I've had enough." He says deftly, not directly looking at her, but she can hear the determination in his strong, tenor voice. "We're leaving this place and heading to another ride."

She gazes at him, and nods slowly. "…Yeah."


End file.
